Game apparatus.



1 r m w m H E m m B 0 w m m A 3 y W PATENTED SEPT. 8, 1903.

D MGRUER GAME APPARATUS;

APPLICATION FILED SEPT 24 1902 AU 0 6 m u M- I"... \I E m H... U v. 7 nW W a L M m m 2:22:225:22:22: I z 0 M 4 9 m I N M PATENTBD SEPT. 8,1903.

' D. MORUER.

GAME APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 24. 1902.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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GAME APPARATUS.

PATENTED SBPTQB", 190s.

1). MGRUBR.

3 SHEETS SHEET 3 APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 24. 1902.

no MODEL.

INVENTOH WITNESSES:

TO all whom it may ooncerm.

No.?38,62d. a l

UNITED STATES Patented September 8, 11903, -TEN T OF ICE. f

DUNCAN MCRUER, or PAULS VALLEY, INDIAN TERRITORY, ASSIGNOR OF oNE-HALF oSTEWART M. JONES, or PAULS VALLEY, INDIAN TER I- TORY.

GAM EAPPARATUS.

K'SPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 738,625, datedSeptember 8, 1903.

Application filed September 24, we; $erial No. 124.669. (No model.)

Be it'known that I, DUNcAN MoRUE a citizen of the United States, and aresident of PaulsValley, Chickasaw Nation, Indian Ter ritory, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Game Apparatus, of which thefollowing is'a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to game apparatus,

in the central rotary object or turret, to employ a movable or shiftableimpelling device, and to provide means which enable the impelling deviceto be advanced in case a light shot is to be discharged.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear from thesubjoined description and the novelty will be defined by the annexedclaims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

of the section being indicated by the dotted line 33 of Fig.4. Fig. 4 isa sectional plan view through the turret on the dotted line 4 4: of Fig.3. Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through one of theseries of impelling devices. Fig. 6 is a cross-section on the line 6 6of Fig. 5, and Fig. 7 is a plan view of the devices shown by Fig. 5.

5 designatesa stationary table provided with suitable legs 6 to maintainthe same at a proper elevation convenient for playing the game. Thistable is provided with a marginal orboundary flange 7 on its severalsides,

and thisflange may be constructed of rubber or any other suitableelastic material, as indicated in Fig. 2, so as to constitute a cushion,the marginal flange representing a parapet. In the center of the tableis arranged a suitable object to ward which missilesfrom a series ofcorner propelling devices are adapted to be projected, and in theembodiment of the invention shown by the accompanying drawings thiscentral object is made in the form of a turret adapted to be rotated bya suitable propelling mechanism, all as will be more fully describedhereinafter. Each corner of the table is provided with an enlargedrounded portion 8, and on the inner side of this rounded portion isprovided a recess 9,. representing a trench.

Each impelling device is shiftably snpportedon one rounded corner 8 ofthe table, and this impelling device is shown in the form of a barrel10, having its open end pointing to ward the central object or turret.Within this barrel is arranged a plunger 11, attached to a suitable rod12, having a knob or handle 13 for its convenient manipulation, and thisplunger is normally impelled toward the open end of the barrel by acoiled spring 14, one end of which is seated against a fixed head orabutment 11, secured at the breech of the barrel, while the other end ofsaid spring acts against the plunger 11. The barrel is secured at itsmiddle to a slidable carrier 15, and this carrier is provided with anelongated foot 16, the latter being slidably' con fined in a rotary baseor turn-table, as shown more clearly by Figs. 5, 6, and 7. This base orturn-table consists of the members 17 18, which are secured laterallytogether by any suitable means, so as to turn easily within a socket orrecess 19, which is provided in the rounded corner 8 of the table, andthis base is confined in place by suitable guides 20, said guides beingof segmental form and secured tothe corners 8 of the table. The members17 18 ofthe turntableare provided in their meeting faces with radialrecesses 21, and the upper table member 17 is constructed with a slot22, the latter opening into the guideway formed by the registeringrecesses 21.

The foot 16 of the carrier is fitted loosely in the guideway 21, whilethe carrier itself passes through the slot 22, and this carrier is thusmounted in the turntable to move radially therein. Thecarrier and the impelling device are normally pressed outwardly from the central objectbya coiled spring 23, which is housed in the guideway 21 and acts againstthe front'side of the carrier, said spring serving as a cushion to takeup or absorb the shock due to the impact of the spring-pressed plungerwhen the latter is released.

The turn-table or base is pivoted centrally in the rounded corner 8 bymeans of a stem or arbor 24, the same being firmly fastened to the lowermember 18 of the base and passing through a suitable opening in therounded corner 8 of the table 5. As shown by Figs. 5 and 6, this stem isprovided with a head 25, that is secured firmly to the lower member 18of the turn-table, and on the lower end of said stem is fitted a'washer26, which is held in place by a pin or key 27.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that each impellingdevice is adapted to be shifted to different radial positions by turningthe rotary base in the rounded corner. The shock on the barrel andturn-table due to the operation of the plunger is cushioned by thespring 23; but this spring permits the operator to shove the impellingdevice over a the trench 9 in case of a light shot, the slidablemovement of the carrier 15 in the turntable permitting the advancementof the impelling device to the desired position.

I have modified the construction of the central turret shown by my priorpatent in material respects, and one modification consists in a novelgrouping of the emblematical figures, While another feature is theprovision of a motor mechanism for automatically rotating the turret.

In the middle of the table 5 is provided a large circular opening 28,adapted to receive the circular base 29 of the rotary turret 30, saidturret consisting of a vertical cylindrical shell or casing that issecured in any suitable way to said base 29. To the under side of thetable is firmly secured a plate 31, which is provided with a centralopening 32 to permit the passage of a vertical sleeve 33, and the finedin the flared upper part'of a hub 37,

upper end of this sleeve projects into a metallic bushing 34, fixed inthe base 29 of the turret. The sleeve 33 is provided with an enlargedlower extremity or foot 35, adapted to ride on the bearing-balls 36,which are conwhich forms a part of a master drive-gear 38, the latterforming one element of the motor for driving the turret. The hub of thismaster-gear 38 is made fast with a vertical shaft 39, which passesloosely through the sleeve 33 and is provided with a square or polygonalend 40, which terminates in the bushing 34 of the turret-base 29. Thelower end of this vertical shaft is stopped in a bearing 41, which isprovided in a suitable casing 42, that is firmly fastened to the underside of the table 5 and to the base-plate 31, said casing inclosing themotor mechanism. This shaft 39 is provided with a ratchet-wheel 43, withwhich engages a pawl 44,attached to the bottom of the casing 42, andaround the hub 37 of the master-gear is a coiled impellingspring45,adapted to rotate said master-gear, the pawl and ratchet preventingthe unwinding of the spring in one direction. tor-gear 38 meshes with apinion 46, secured on the counter-shaft 47, having bearings in thebase-plate 31 and the bottom of the casing 42, and said counter-shaft isprovided with a gear-wheel 48, which meshes with a in. addition to thegroup of short tubes I employ a long tube 51, the inner end of whichextends'into the turret 30 to a point near the center thereof, said longtube 51 extending a considerable distance beyond the turret. With thegroup of short tubes 50 is associated a series of vertically-movablerods 52, each provided at its upper end with a suitable figure, as 53,and said rods 52 of the group are slidably and individually mounted inguide-tubes 54, the latter being secured on the inside of the turret inany suitable way, so as to be housed therein. Each verticallymovable rodis provided within the guidetube with a cross-piece 55, against whichacts an impelling-spring 56, the latter being housed in the tube 54 andbearing against the lower with the short tubes 50, and these rods areeach provided with a beveled foot 57, having a shoulder 58. Each rod maybe lowered against the tension of the spring 56 for its foot 57 to lieacross the passage of the tube 50 and for its shoulder 58 toengage withthe upper edge of said tube, thus disposing the foot in the path of amissile adapted to enter the short tube. The rod 52 is of spring metaland capable ofbeing deflected laterally with respect to the tube for itsshoulder 58 to engage therewith. I also employ a central guide-tube 60,arranged in vertical position within the turret and within the circularseries of tubes 54, and this central tube is attached to the turret by aplate 59 or other suitable means. The guide-tube 60 is disposed directlyover the inner end of the long tube 51, and in this guide-tube isarranged a The masslidable rod 61, having the shouldered and beveledfoot62 to engage the inner end of said tube 51. This slidable rod 61carries a suitable figure, such as 63, and it is provided with thecross-piece 64, against which acts a spring65. The upper end of theturret is closed by meansof the triangular doors or flaps 66, which arehinged to the turret and arranged to register or meet one another inorder to close the upper end of said turret, The doors lie directly overthe figures 53 on the rods 52, so that the doors will be openedindividually by the upward movement of any one rod; but the figure 63 onthe central rod 61 is arranged directly below the meeting inner ends ofthe doors, whereby the upward movement of the rod 61 and the figure 63will open a series of the doors or flaps. Suitable numbers or countersmay be provided on the flaps or doors of the turret, and when a missilefrom one of the impelling devices enters a tube, so as to release a rod,the movement of the rod will release one or more doors, therebyentitling the player to count as many points in his score as areindicated on the door or flap, which is thrown by the movement of thereleased rod.

it Any suitable rules may be adopted to reg ulate the playing ofthefgame; but as these are minor matters within the province of themanufacturer I do not consider it necessary to herein recite the specialrules which may be employed. a

The turret 30 is provided atits lower part with an elastic cushion orbutter 67. This bufier is arranged in the path of the missiles thrownfrom the impelling devices, and it is arranged in sections, which aresecured to the a outside of the turret and alternate with the series oftubes 51.

Any suitable means may be adopted to arrest the mot-ion of the drivingmechanism or motor; but in the drawings I have shown a stop-screw 70,adapted to bear against one of the wheels of said driving mechanism.

Having thus described my invention, I

2. A game apparatus comprising a suitable table having a central object,a series of turntables grouped around said central object,

and impelling devices slidably mounted individually on the turn-tablesand shiftable to difierent angular positions with respect to saidcentral object, each impelling device being also movable independentlyon the turn- 65 table in a direction radially to the central obl ject.

3. A'game apparatus comprising a table having a central object and aseries of trenches or depressions at the corners of said table, slidablecarriers mounted on the table for movement radially with respect to thecentral object and each adapted to be prosions in the table, impellingdevices sup ported individually by said carriers, and means to cushionthe recoil of each impelling device and its carrier.

4,. A game apparatus comprising a suitable table having a centralobject, shiftable turntables at the corners of the table, depressions ortrenches adjacent to the turn-tables, and

an impelling device mounted on each turntable, said impelling devicebeing shiftable slidable movement thereon with respect to the trench andthe central object.

5. A game apparatus having a suitable table, a central object thereon, aseries of turntables fitted to said table and each having a radialguideway, slidable carriers housed in the guideways of the turn-tablesand each mounted on one turn-table to be-shiftable therewith and toslide radially thereon, means carried by each turn-table to cushion thecarrier thereon, and an impelling device mounted on each carrier.

6. A' game apparatus having a table, arevoluble turret having a basefitted in said table and removable bodily therefrom, a bushing fixed inthe base of said turret, a motorshaft extended into said bushing, aspringdriven sleeve fixed to the shaft and having a ball-race, anothersleeve fitted looselyon the having a ball-race opposing that of thespringdriven sleeve, bearing-balls in the races of said sleeves, and anintermediate shaft geared to the spring-driven and loose sleeves,wh ereby the turret may be positively driven and it may be removed bodily fromthe table.

7. A game apparatus comprising a table, a group of impelling devicesthereon, a revoluble turret mounted on said table and provided with aseries of hinged flaps, a series of tubes attached to said turret, aseries of spring-actuated rods carrying suitable figures andhavinginterlocking engagement with said tubes, said rods being adaptedto individuallyopen the flaps of the series, another tube extended intothe turret beyond the tubes of the series, and a central rod havingengagement with ure, said central rod being releasable indeits upwardmovement to open a series of flaps on the turret.

8. In a game apparatus, a rotary turret provided with a group of doorsor flaps arranged to close the upper end thereof, a series ofraguide-tubes supported within said turret, slidable rods fitted in saidguide-tubes and provided with beveled and shouldered feet and withfigures adapted to be projected jected across one of the trenches ordepres-.

shaft and fitted tightly in the bushing and dial tubes movable with saidturret, vertical.

with the turn-table and capable of a limited said extended tube andcarrying a central fig-f pendently of the other rods and arranged on aagainst the doors orflapsindividually, springs In testimony whereof Ihave signed my acting against the separate slidable rods, and name tothis specification in the presence of a central rodreleasableindependently of the two subscribing witnesses.

series of rods and carrying a central figure, DUNCAN MGRUER. saidcentral rod being arranged on its upward Witnesses:

movement to open the series of flaps on the i (J. R. WALTERHOUSE,

turret. A. M. BURBRIDGE.

